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Ahead of Karnataka ministers’ meeting with Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday, outlines have resurfaced in the state congress on whether Siddaramaiah will serve as chief minister for a five-year term.
Over the past week, several ministers from the Siddaramaiah camp have suggested that he will head the government for five years. This did not sit well with DK Suresh, the lone Congressman Lok Sabha MP from the state and brother of Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who lobbied hard for the post of Chief Minister after Congress won a landslide victory on 13 May.
Ministers supporting a full term for Siddaramaiah include Industry Minister M. M. Patil, Social Welfare Minister HC Mahadevappa and Public Works Minister Satish Garkiholi – all of whom are considered loyal to the prime minister.
AICC Secretary General (KC) Venugopal said in a press conference…. Patel said recently. It didn’t work out with Suresh and he replied, “I can respond to M.P. Patel. But tell him (such statements) are not necessary.
There was also news of a public row between them at Vedana Sodha following the recent cabinet meeting, where the two are said to have exchanged angry words.
Next up was Mahadevappa, who told reporters at a media interaction in Mysuru on Sunday that Siddaramaiah would “continue as prime minister”. “He is the prime minister. He will continue to be prime minister,” the minister added.
Suresh’s reaction was sharp again. I don’t know why he makes these statements. He is a mature leader with a lot of ideologies and his own political power. He works as a senior minister now. I think he cares about other issues than serving as a minister. That’s why he can say these things. What more will I say?” he said at a news conference.
Asked about Mahadevappa’s remarks, Siddaramaiah said he did not know what the minister had said.
On his part, Garkiholi said that Siddaramaiah was the chief minister and “nobody said that (his term of office) was half term”. The minister said he was likely to continue as prime minister.
On the other hand, Suresh, who has started asserting his position in the ranks of Congress in the state since the assembly elections, told reporters on Saturday that he is hesitant about contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. I have not received any invitation to run for election. I have to ask the party workers and leaders. “If there is a suitable candidate, I am ready to support them,” he said, adding that he had “enough” of politics and that he wanted to “create opportunities for others.”
Asked on Sunday if he had informed the party leadership of his decision, he said: “It is enough for me to inform my constituents about it. Why should I bring it to the attention of party leaders? The party leaders will give me a ticket if I apply. If I don’t, they will find someone else.”
These remarks, along with his bickering with senior Congress ministers, made political circles a roar of speculations about the MP pushing the case for his brother Shivakumar’s claim to the post of CM. The top leadership in Congress has not announced any power-sharing agreement. Suresh’s statement hinting at political retirement was also interpreted as a sign of protest against not appointing Shivakumar as Chief Minister.
Congress, which had not announced a major ministerial candidate before the election due to divisions between the Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar camps, waited five days after the May 13 results to appoint Siddaramaiah as Chief Minister, for the second time. Shivakumar also gambled his claim to the highest office, which led to an impasse. The high command, in the end, came up with a compromise formula by giving him the post of deputy prime minister and two powerful portfolios.
Although Venugopal was asked about the “power-sharing agreement” when Siddharamaiah was announced as Prime Minister and Shivakumar as his deputy, he said that power-sharing “will happen only with the people of Karnataka”, which did little to dispel rumors on the subject.
In response to the dispute between the ministers and the deputy, congressional sources said that the deputy confirms his position. “His statement of not wanting to run and his disagreement with ministers are unrelated,” said one congressional leader, blaming it instead on divisions within the party.
Salim Ahmed, the state Congress president, said when contacted Indian Express That Suresh was the only MP of the party for the state. He is an important leader of the party. He said Congress definitely wants him to run.
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